14/12/2011

Career tip: Extra language qualifications the way to go.

Hi! Does doing any language certifications really help, or is just a waste of

time?

These days, if you thought your undergraduate degree alone is enough to secure you a job or make you advance in your career, then you might be wholly mistaken. Knowing at least one foreign language is becoming a competitive advantage in many ways. Picture for example, the media personalities. Many media stations, in a bid to cut costs employ a news anchor who is well versed with both English and Kiswahili. Now, media is not the only industry where extra language qualifications are in demand. If you are in the hospitality and tourism industry, then a foreign language, perhaps in Italian, German, Japanese or French will come in handy, as this is where a majority of Kenyan tourists come from.

Quite another area is in companies that are expanding into the East and Central Africa region, where many countries use French as their official language, Rwanda, Burundi and DRC may be prime examples. Let’s not forget about Chinese, one of the fastest growing languages that many students the world over are studying. The expansion of Chinese companies into Africa means that many professionals with a background in Chinese language are going to be well positioned to get jobs in Chinese companies. Even American students, who previously wouldn’t have bothered to learn any foreign language, are now trooping into classes to learn mandarin amongst other Chinese dialects.

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